First ‘X-Files’ Season 11 Photos, Plus New Premiere Details

We’re quietly optimistic for more X-Files, even after last year’s six-episode return brought little more than cliffhangers and one-off ideas. And while our first photos from the 2018 return don’t offer much, we do know about an upcoming time-jump, and a trip to the Smoking Man’s past.

Entertainment Weekly debuted first photos from the upcoming ten-episode season, albeit without much context to explain why Scully would end up in the hospital after we last left Mulder dying on a bridge. Among the intel we did gleam; Barbara Hershey’s mystery character will recur throughout the season, while Agent Reyes (Annabeth Gish)’s connection to the Smoking Man will also be revealed:

And while Season 11 is expected to skew more stand-alone than serialized, Carter offered a preview of what to expect from the first few hours - including the resolution of that alien cliffhanger:

After episode one delves into the Cigarette Smoking Man’s (William B. Davis) backstory and apparent family ties to Mulder, the second hour opens with a time jump to put distance between Mulder and Scully and the events of the premiere. And episode three is a darkly comedic hour, penned by Carter, focusing on doubles and doppelgängers.